Puerto Rico added 20 behavioral health providers in the latest weekly CMS NPI registry update. This represents 0% of the national weekly total, indicating a very small fraction of the overall national growth this week. All 20 providers are new this year, suggesting a modest but consistent local growth in the behavioral health sector.
Workforce Composition and ABA Capacity
Among the new additions, 2 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) were identified. Notably, there were 0 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and 0 individuals with dual BCBA and RBT credentials. This absence of new BCBAs, who are essential for supervising RBTs, suggests a potential bottleneck in expanding ABA services, despite the addition of direct service providers. The new providers also include individuals with credentials such as 2 providers holding an MS, 2 providers with an MSW, 1 provider with an LCDA., 1 provider with an MS SLP, and 1 provider with an MPSY, reflecting a broader growth across various behavioral health disciplines including psychology, social work, and speech-language pathology.
Provider Demographics
Of the 20 new providers, 19 are individuals and 1 is an organization. The individual workforce is predominantly female, with 17 women accounting for 89% of individual providers. 2 male providers make up 11% of the individual additions. No notable organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data. The new providers are concentrated in cities like San Juan, Caguas, Carolina, and Bayamon.
The current data suggests a slow but diverse growth in Puerto Rico's behavioral health sector, with a particular need for increased BCBA capacity to support the expansion of ABA services and ensure adequate supervision for RBTs.
